Ed Mann Biography

American drummerNot to be confused with Edward Mann.Musical artist

Ed Mann is a musician who has been "a drummer and piano dabbler since childhood." He is best known for his mallet percussion performances onstage with Frank Zappa's ensemble from 1977 to 1988, and his appearances on over 30 of Zappa's albums, both studio recordings and with Zappa's band live. Mann also has released a number of CDs as a bandleader and composer.

Career

Mann formed a band with Tommy Mars in mid 1973. By the end of that year he was studying with John Bergamo at CalArts. In 1977 Frank Zappa asked Bergamo to do some overdubbing on the Zappa In New York album and Bergamo in turn recommended Mann.

A few months later Ruth Underwood told Mann that Zappa was looking for a second keyboard player. When Mann called to recommend Tommy Mars ("At midnight, the only time when you could reach Frank by phone"), Zappa invited him to come to his house. Mann went to the house, where Terry Bozzio, Patrick O'Hearn, and Adrian Belew were jamming with Zappa. By 2:00am Ed was in the band. Mann later commented: "It took a few days for that all to sink in."

Mann can be heard playing gongs on J21's Yellow Mind:Blue Mind album.

Until mid-2014 Mann was a member of The Band From Utopia which has featured many Zappa alumni such as Robert Martin, Chad Wackerman, Albert Wing, Tom Fowler, Ray White and Ralph Humphrey over the years. In 2008, Ed Mann toured with Project Object and sat in with Agent Moosehead at the New York Harvest Festival and Freedom Rally. In 2013 Mann began performing on percussion and electronics with The Z3, an organ, guitar and drums trio that adapts Zappa music to the Hammond organ-centered jazz-funk tradition. Mann played on The White Album and did a virtuoso performance on the song 'Apple A Day.' Mann played on two of David Arvedon's albums.

Mann joined Northeast blugr*tafarian jamband Desert Rain for their set at the Wormtown Music Festival in the fall of 2015. Since then he has been joining the group at clubs throughout the Northeast.

In July 2016 Mann joined Mike Dillon for three dates of Dillon's northeast US tour.

Discography with Zappa

  • Zappa in New York (Frank Zappa, 1978)
  • Sheik Yerbouti (Frank Zappa, 1979)
  • Joe's Garage Act I (Zappa, 1979)
  • Joe's Garage Acts II & III (Zappa, 1979)
  • Tinseltown Rebellion (Frank Zappa, 1981)
  • Shut Up 'N Play Yer Guitar (Zappa, 1981)
  • You Are What You Is (Zappa, 1981)
  • Ship Arriving Too Late to Save a Drowning Witch (Zappa, 1982)
  • The Man From Utopia (Zappa, 1983)
  • Baby Snakes (Frank Zappa, 1983)
  • London Symphony Orchestra, Vol. 1 (Zappa, 1983)
  • Them or Us (Zappa, 1984)
  • Thing-Fish (Zappa, 1984)
  • Frank Zappa Meets the Mothers of Prevention (Frank Zappa, 1985)
  • Jazz from Hell (Frank Zappa, 1986)
  • London Symphony Orchestra, Vol. 2 (Zappa, 1987)
  • Guitar (Frank Zappa, 1988)
  • You Can't Do That on Stage Anymore, Vol. 1 (Zappa, 1988)
  • Broadway the Hard Way (Frank Zappa)
  • You Can't Do That on Stage Anymore, Vol. 3 (Zappa, 1989)
  • The Best Band You Never Heard in Your Life (Frank Zappa, 1991)
  • Make a Jazz Noise Here (Frank Zappa, 1991)
  • You Can't Do That on Stage Anymore, Vol. 4 (Zappa, 1991)
  • You Can't Do That on Stage Anymore, Vol. 5 (Zappa, 1992)
  • You Can't Do That on Stage Anymore, Vol. 6 (Zappa, 1992)
  • Frank Zappa Plays the Music of Frank Zappa: A Memorial Tribute (Frank Zappa, 1996)
  • Halloween (Frank Zappa – Audio DVD, 2003)
  • QuAUDIOPHILIAc (Zappa – kvadrofon Audio DVD, 2004)
  • Trance-Fusion (Zappa Records 2006)
  • The Dub Room Special (CD, Zappa Records, 2007)
  • One Shot Deal (Zappa Records ZR 20006, 2008)
  • Hammersmith Odeon (album) (Zappa, 2010)

Mann performances can be seen in the Zappa films Baby Snakes, Dub Room Special & Video From Hell.

Solo discography

  • Get Up (1988)
  • Perfect World (1991)
  • Global Warming (1994)
  • Have No Fear (1997)
  • (((GONG))) Sound Of Being (1998)

References

    Sources

    • Ed Mann Discography of CDs at cduniverse.com
    • Perfect World Cutout at amazon.com
    Posthumous
    official releasesMiscellaneous
    • Lumpy Gravy (Primordial)
    • The Guitar World According to Frank Zappa
    • Beat the Boots!
    • Beat the Boots! II
    Singles
    • "Trouble Comin' Every Day"
    • "Who Are the Brain Police?"
    • "WPLJ"
    • "My Guitar"
    • "Peaches en Regalia"
    • "I'm the Slime"
    • "Cosmik Debris"
    • "Don't Eat the Yellow Snow"
    • "Du Bist Mein Sofa"
    • "Find Her Finer"
    • "Disco Boy"
    • "Dancin' Fool"
    • "Bobby Brown"
    • "Joe's Garage"
    • "I Don't Wanna Get Drafted"
    • "You Are What You Is"
    • "Valley Girl"
    • "Cocaine Decisions"
    • "Stairway to Heaven"
    Other
    compositions
    • "Absolutely Free"
    • "Advance Romance"
    • "The Adventures of Greggery Peccary"
    • "America Drinks & Goes Home"
    • "Are You Hung Up?"
    • "Billy the Mountain"
    • "The Black Page"
    • "Brown Shoes Don't Make It"
    • "Camarillo Brillo"
    • "Cheepnis"
    • "Duodenum"
    • "Father O'Blivion"
    • "Help, I'm a Rock"
    • "G-Spot Tornado"
    • "I Have Been in You"
    • "Inca Roads"
    • "Jewish Princess"
    • "Let's Make the Water Turn Black"
    • "A Little Green Rosetta"
    • "Memories of El Monte"
    • "Montana"
    • "Muffin Man"
    • "Nanook Rubs It"
    • "Plastic People"
    • "The Return of the Son of Monster Magnet"
    • "Rollo"
    • "Sleep Dirt"
    • "St. Alfonzo's Pancake Breakfast"
    • "Take Your Clothes Off When You Dance"
    • "A Token of My Extreme"
    • "The Torture Never Stops"
    • "Uncle Remus"
    • "Watermelon in Easter Hay"
    • "Who Needs the Peace Corps?"
    • "Willie the Pimp"
    • "Wind Up Workin' in a Gas Station"
    Filmography
    • 200 Motels
    • Baby Snakes
    • The Dub Room Special
    • Does Humor Belong in Music?
    • Video from Hell
    • Uncle Meat
    • The True Story of Frank Zappa's 200 Motels
    • The Amazing Mr. Bickford
    Relatives
    • Gail Zappa
    • Moon Zappa
    • Dweezil Zappa
    • Ahmet Zappa
    • Diva Zappa
    Influence
    • In popular culture
    • Zappa Plays Zappa
    • Pachygnatha zappa
    • Phialella zappai
    • Zappa confluentus
    • 3834 Zappafrank
    • Frankly a Cappella
    • King Kong: Jean-Luc Ponty Plays the Music of Frank Zappa
    • Zappa's Universe
    Related articles
    • Discography
    • Musicians
    • Captain Beefheart
    • Wild Man Fischer
    • Bobby Jameson
    • Ruben and the Jets
    • The Real Frank Zappa Book
    • Zappa Records
    • Abnuceals Emuukha Electric Symphony Orchestra
    • Bizarre Records
    • Straight Records
    • DiscReet Records
    • Barking Pumpkin Records
    • Studio Z
    • Utility Muffin Research Kitchen
    • Category

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    Ed Mann